President Akufo-Addo with shovel at the ground-breaking ceremony
PRESIDENT Akufo-Addo on Friday cut sod for the construction and rehabilitation of some major road networks in the Ashanti Region under a project dubbed: “Facelift of Greater Kumasi Town Roads.”
The project includes dualisation of the Lake Road, construction of Sissai River storm drain, 145 kilometres road resealing, asphalt overlay of 150 kilometres, rehabilitation of 180 kilometres road, and construction of transport terminal at Dompoase in the Asokwa Municipality.
The president said a total of 260 kilometres of road would also be improved within the Kumasi Metropolis including Ejisu, Juaben, Sekyere East, Bekwai and Mampong municipalities.
The current urban road network size of Kumasi is said to be approximately 2,000 kilometres out of which 30 per cent is paved, whiles 70 per cent remains unpaved.
The city saw its major road rehabilitation works between 1985 and1996 by M/S Limex, and has since not been attended to by successive governments, thereby leaving a significant portion of the paved network deteriorated and in poor condition.
President Akufo-Addo said he was personally happy to break grounds for the “Facelift of Greater Kumasi Town Roads” project.
He stated: “It is a very joyful occasion for me. The people of Kumasi and Asanteman have always been supportive of my politics, and so I am delighted that my government is undertaking this great programme of road rehabilitation and reconstruction in Kumasi and Asanteman”.
According to him, it is widely acknowledged that Kumasi is not only Ghana’s largest city, but also a major strategic business destination in West Africa.
He asserted that the present state of the roads in the city does not befit its status and that government is committed to quickly improving the condition of the roads in Kumasi and by extension, Ashanti Region.
“That is why my government, through the Ministry of Roads and Highways, has begun work on critical projects such as the construction of a dual carriage way on the Lake Road from the Coca-Cola Bottling Company at Ahensan to Dompoase Junction, construction of storm drains on the Sissai River to reduce the incidence of flooding and construction of footbridges to connect communities along the river,” he disclosed.
President Akufo-Addo said there would be construction of a 10-kilometre asphalt overlay within the project area.
He disclosed that there would also be rehabilitation of 100 kilometres of road network within Kumasi as well as construction of 150 kilometres of highways and feeder roads in the region.
These projects, he indicated, are being done besides the re-moulding of four roundabouts between Ejisu and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
He explained that the projects were geared towards improving safety and easing congestion in the Ashanti Region, particularly in Kumasi.
“I want to use this occasion to announce that before the end of this year, construction works will begin for the dualisation of the road from Accra to Kumasi,” the president assured them.
He added that road improvement works across the country would also commence before the end of the year, stating that this would include the construction of the Tamale interchange, Suame interchange, and the PTC interchange in Takoradi.
“The rehabilitation of the Sunyani road popularly referred to as the Sofoline project will also be completed. I urge the Ministry of Roads and Highways and its implementing agencies to ensure that adequate and proper supervision is given to all the works being undertaken to guarantee value for money,” he entreated.
President Akufo-Addo asked those whose property might be affected to cooperate with the sector ministry in accessing compensation due them, pledging that fair and adequate compensation would be given to all persons whose property would be affected by the projects.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi